News on The Potato Supply Chain from New Zealand

New Zealand Potato production in 2013, at 525,000 metric tons, was marginally (5%) ahead of 2012 production. t is likely planted areas in 2014 will be similar to 2013, with production in the range of 500,000 to 550,000MT.

Dr John Baker, a soil scientist who was a finalist for the World Food Prize in 2013, is calling for the authorities to look at soil quality when preparing environmental policies. He says that while most local bodies have robust policies to address air and water quality, they overlook soil quality.

The mighty potato has pushed out tomatoes to take the title of New Zealand’s number one favourite vegetable.

While the potato industry is still waiting for clearance to be allowed to send fresh potatoes to Australia, a new market is rapidly opening up. The industry has high hopes for a new market in Vietnam.

New research has been funded through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, to help the potato industry reduce issues caused by an insect intruder – the tomato-potato psyllid.

La investigación que adelanta la Universidad de Canterbury sobre papas libres de cadmio podría ayudar a eliminar otra posible amenaza a la seguridad alimentaria.

More details have come out in the sale of Mr Chips by Simplot to New Zealand's Balle Bros, first reported by PotatoPro on August 18.

Simplot Australia has announced that it entered into a conditional agreement to sell its shareholding in its New Zealand-based potato manufacturing and distribution business, Simplot Mr Chips Limited, to the Auckland based Balle Bros Group Limited.

Manufacturer of vegetable handling equipment Wyma has developed a series of Clean-In-Place [CIP] features for its Vege-Polisher™ and Vege-Peeler.

New Zealand Potato growers are spending NZ$240,000 (~200.000 USD) on research to try to find why their harvests have not been increasing.

A simple mesh cover could be the answer to halting New Zealand's most devastating tomato and potato pests, the tomato potato psyllid.

Las mariquitas podrían ser la clave para la salvación de un insecto transmisor de una bacteria para la industria de la papa de Nueva Zelanda.

Research conducted by the Bio-Protection Research Centre at Lincoln University, using the southern ladybird as a biological control agent, has shown the predator to be voracious and effective at reducing tomato-potato psyllid (TPP) numbers.

The New Zealand-based company CropLogic is the first winner of IBM’s SmartCamp Australia and New Zealand, part of a global program for start-up companies. CropLogic, which was the only New Zealand finalist in the program, is a provider of predictive d...

South Canterbury potato growers look to be digging up a bumper crop this season as harvesting gets well underway. The region has about 35 growers, growing a variety of commercial varieties.

The Food &Grocery Council is welcoming a significant drop in concentration of acrylamide in potato crisps, and says it will continue to work with industry to find ways of lowering its levels in other foods, CEO Katherine Rich said today. She is re...

A new Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) report shows that the concerted effort by New Zealand's potato crisp manufacturers to lower acrylamide in their products is paying off.

Potatoes New Zealand is coming under the international spotlight for its groundbreaking initiatives promoting healthy eating choices to children and young people.